Why I No Longer Argue for the Existence of God

People have been debating the existence of God  for millennia. The linked article talks about both a general debate for theism and a typically Western philosophy that argues specifically for a Judeo/Christian concept of God. This article will focus on the latter.

There are a plethora of arguments which rely on logic and reasoning. Some arguments carry $10 terms such as "ontological" or "cosmological". There are points and counter points made by both sides with no one side prevailing in a debate except in the minds of those who are partial to one side or the other. Any believer can easily poke holes in an atheist's arguments. Yet, any atheist can just as easily poke holes in a believer's arguments as well.

Many believers, myself included, have argued for the existence of God but I have backed off from such debates. The fact of the matter is, I find these debates to be a waste of time. Here are a couple reasons why...

First, it ultimately, comes down to where one is going to put their faith. NO ONE is ever going to prove their position. All positions require some kind of faith. Frankly, I don't have enough faith to be an atheist because I cannot conceive of our universe being as orderly as it is and saying, "It just happened".  If I am mistaken in my faith, then what does it matter? This rationale appears to be similar to Pascal's Wager but this is NOT my rationale for belief; it is simply a reason for not arguing for His existence. (More on Pascal's Wager in a moment).

Secondly, the Bible never tries to make any arguments for God's existence. It assumes His existence. The first verse of the Bible begins: In the beginning God... (Genesis 1:1). Psalm 14:1 declares, The fool says in his heart, “There is no God...”
If the scriptures don't attempt  to argue for God's existence, why should I?

Most importantly, the reason I no longer try to argue for God's existence is that the refusal to believe in God is not a philosophical issue, it is a heart issue.

I alluded to Pascal's Wager a moment ago. Pascal's Wager is a line of reasoning that goes something like this: "Since belief in  the existence of God is ultimately a matter of faith and not empirical proof, a prudent person would accept the premise that God exists because if one lives as though God exists but He does not, what has that person lost? If, on the other hand, someone lives as though there is no God and it turns out there is, that person is going to be in a world of hurt." (Arnold's paraphrase)

Here is an excellent article on Pascal's Wager.  One of the issues they point out is the fact that Pascal's Wager ignores the fact that those who choose not to believe in God do so because they suppress the knowledge of Him. Romans 1:18-20 tells us:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. (Emphasis mine)

Until the heart is changed, no line of argumentation, no reasoning is going to convince an atheist of God's existence.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that simple acknowledgement of God's existence is NOT sufficient for justification before Him. James 2:19 tells us:

You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Demons know God exists, but they're headed for hell. Belief in God must go beyond intellectual ascension and produce an attitude of humility and submission to Him.

God created the world and everything in and around it. He desires a relationship with His creation. Yet, we as His creation, rebelled and subjected it all to sin and death. Part of that rebellion is choosing to deny God's existence and live as though we are the ones who are in charge.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

We, therefore, ought to fall on our faces before Him and receive His gift of life which He offers all who will believe... not just intellectually, but believe to the extent that we would turn from our sinful ways and acknowledge His rightfull place in creation and our lives.

In Him,
Arnold.

Late edit, 2/13/24: Here is an excellent quick read I just found on the matter:

https://www.ccontario.com/post/is-it-necessary-to-prove-god-s-existence


All scriptures quoted in this article are from the Berean Standard Bible.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10-14 BSB Welcome to my latest blog. Back in 2022, I began  Another Rider's Perspective , a blog about motorcycle riding and how it intersects with my life of faith. Included in that blog is my testimony which begins  here . It was supposed to be a simple testimony but as I began recounting how God's faithfulness formed and shaped me, it became apparent this was not going to be a simple post. I
Read more

An Unpleasant Devotional

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  Hebrews 12:11 NKJV Being chastened by the Lord is not a pleasant experience. Therefore, a devotional about His chastening isn't pleasant. However, if we are walking with Him, we know the unpleasantness of being chastened; whether we've recently stayed from the path or He has been dealing with us for years over certain issues, the Lord is going to reprove us as His children. I have recently been reading the book of Jeremiah; it has been likened to an intervention where an individual who is on a path of destruction is being confronted by family or friends who see the train wreck his life has become. The whole point of an intervention is to encourage the one being confronted to repent, to make an about face in his thinking and to begin seeking help. The book of Jeremiah is an intervention by God confronting
Read more

The Asbury Revival

Some of my readers may remember an event that occurred about this time last year known as the  Asbury Revival . In short, it was a perceived movement of God that began at the end of morning chapel services when students from Asbury University in Kentucky spontaneously remained in the auditorium afterwards to pray and worship. It ended up lasting about two weeks and was attended by upwards of 70,000 visitors from around the world. This event was hailed as an awakening of sorts, a shot in the arm, if you will, for American churches, especially as it pertained to young believers. I don't care to get into details about this event or even critique it but there are a couple things this brings to mind as it has to do with revival in our personal walks. First, since the latter half of the 20th century, we in American Christendom have intertwined spiritual revival with political revival. I've heard many express hope that the Asbury Revival would wake up the young generation and spar
Read more